Trusting.

I’m so sorry it’s been more than a month since I last blogged! To be honest, the last several weeks have been very rough….

Long story short, I had yet another ER visit/hospital stay at the beginning of April because of issues with my port, neurogenic bladder complications (I had to be cathed, and they couldn’t get “it” in on the first AND second try which was so extremely painful!!! The third try almost didn’t work either!), dehydration, terrible nausea/vomiting, weakness, and other horrible medical stuff.  This admission was only 3 days, but it was really hard because I felt so miserable and yucky.

Good news first!  I am maintaining my weight and not losing more, so increasing my tube feeds is enough and we don’t have to up my TPN calories.

2-3 weeks ago, I started experiencing some concerning GI symptoms, and my GI specialist now believes my lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is not closing well.  This is not good news. My LES not working properly is causing me to have gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).  I wish I didn’t have to deal with yet another problem on top of everything else going on. There’s no easy fix for this, but he is having me try 2 weeks of a proton pump inhibitor med.  Would appreciate your prayers that this med can at least reduce the frequency of these new symptoms—haven’t been sleeping well at all because it happens often at night.

I had an 8-month post-op appointment with my hip surgeon recently.  I continue to need physical therapy twice a week.  I make good progress, but every time I get admitted to the hospital, that progress gets set back. It’s sad for both me and my physical therapists because it takes a lot of hard work to strengthen my muscles, and with every hospital stay, I become weak and don’t bounce back fast.

Recently, my blood Magnesium level dropped, so my nephrologist had to increase my IV Mg yet AGAIN. I now receive 8 GRAMS of IV Mg every single day which is a crazy huge amount!!  My GI dr. keeps saying I’m the black hole of Mg.

My PCP referred me to my physical medicine dr. to get his input regarding my achy back that I continue to have.  Because of my osteopenia, he wanted to make sure that my achy back is not from any spinal compression fractures.  Thankfully, the x-ray was normal.  So the pain is most likely due to my muscle weakness…..I will be seen in his brace clinic to get fitted for a flexible thoracic back brace.  Unfortunately, he is completely booked out, so I can’t get fitted for one until the middle of July! I am on his waiting list, though, in case anyone cancels..

My ENT dr. has been a Top Doctor in the Portland Monthly magazine many times, and I’m not surprised at all!  He is so knowledgeable and caring. He doesn’t think post-nasal drip is what’s causing my chronic cough.  Instead, he thinks I have a type of asthma (there are many types!), so he’s starting me on a steroid inhaler which is to be used with a “spacer.”  He did say it will take a while to start working.  I’m to see him again in 3 months..

P.S. Aren’t these flowers so beautiful? Very kind church friends gave them to me 2 1/2 weeks ago, and I’m still enjoying them even today!